Last weekend I took this photo of a bride praying in a secluded area of the church before walking down the aisle. I was also praying…that she didn’t notice me behind the little window of the door. Interest in photography has skyrocketed over the past few years because of all the inventive, affordable cameras and image capturing devices available. One result of this has been a keener awareness of photographers. Brides, grooms, and guests, seem to notice me despite my attempts to be a stealth, ninja photojournalist. Which is why I am very excited to catch moments like this that are totally unstaged and real.

I usually incorporate more subtle backlighting and lens flare, but occasionally extreme lens flare looks cool. I love using it in my “Tarantino” shots or when something dramatic happens like Kim’s veil floating around her because of mystery rooftop wind current.

I made this holiday card from a family photo session! I was having some trouble trying to achieve a design that wasn’t corny but still had some holiday spirit. After seeing the Apple poster “Here’s to the Crazy Ones,” and a suggestion from my client, I came up with something I’m very pleased with!

I always encourage couples to see each other before the ceremony so that all of the posed photos can be completed without the time constraints of cocktail hour. Weddings are a lot more expensive than they used to be and you should enjoy every moment with family and friends, as well as every hor d’oeuvre.

You decided to invest in wedding photography, so make sure that you schedule enough time for that investment to pay off. When the photographer can be creative and relaxed, you are getting the most bang for your buck.

Remember, a wedding is an event dependent on others being on schedule for it to go exactly according to plan. Which means it probably won’t go exactly according to plan. With a first look and photo session scheduled before the ceremony you can leave as much time as you choose to ensure that even if things run late, you will still get the photos you deserve. I always tell couples, “If the worst thing that happens, is that you have extra time to hang out, relax, drink champagne, and be with your loved ones, that’s the way to go.”

But instead of listening to the opinion of an objective photographer, listen to a former JG Photography Bride, Jenna Wilson. She had a beautiful First Look moment and a wonderful and relaxing wedding day with the stellar wedding photos to prove it.

With our ceremony being held on site at the venue location, we knew that there would not be any time in between the ceremony and reception to take photos and really soak in the day at our own pace. We would have been rushed and missed our cocktail hour. It seemed to us that it was a no brainer to get pictures done at our leisure before the crowd came and to ensure Jayd had the time to be as creative as she wanted to be!

Looking back… I would not have it any other way, and for even more reasons. Our wedding day was the day for us to celebrate our love and commit ourselves to one another. Yes, we wanted to share the celebration with everyone, but the day was truly for us and the love we share. I will never forget the feeling of when we made the call to Ryan to go wait for me at that perfect spot behind the tree. My heart began to race with excitement. I could not wait for him to see me in the dress I had been keeping a secret for months with my hair and make-up now finished. I had seen his suit, but not all put together and I could not wait to see how handsome he would be. I then took the walk to go meet him. It was as if the day paused to give us a moment alone to keep with us forever. His face, my soon to be husband just looked at me in awe and filled with tears. This was the moment. We had finally reached the day that we had been waiting for. We were able to tell one another how amazing each other looked, how amazing we felt, and how ready we were to enjoy the day. Ryan is my best friend, I was able to share all my thoughts and feelings with him the moment we saw one another. In such an emotional moment, Jayd was able to capture beautiful pictures that are so personal to us. With all of the crazy events that take place leading up to and the day of the wedding, it was such a relief to see Ryan and have him with me. Any nerves were lifted and my heart was able to begin to celebrate with Ryan.

We were able to kiss one another and just be ourselves the hours leading up to the ceremony. Once it was show time, we were able to smile at one another as we got ready to walk down the aisle. All of our friends and family were seated waiting for us and we were ready for them. As we do every other day, we felt like a team. We were going into this ceremony and marriage together and ready. It was perfect!

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I’m so excited that marriage is possible for everyone now! Congratulations to New York’s vibrant GLBT Community on this big win! I have been lucky enough to grow up in a family that has always supported equal marriage and gay rights. I am psyched at the prospect of shooting gay marriages!! Yaay! Congratulations! Let’s hope that more states follow suit!

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